Surface masking device for painters

ABSTRACT

In the spray painting of houses, a vertical masking element is temporarily attached to a storm sash frame or channel and protects the same and adjacent window pane areas from the paint spray. A right angular horizontal masking element is handheld by the painter and protects horizontal sections of the storm sash frame or channel while allowing freedom of one hand for spray painting of surrounding areas. The masking elements embody reusable body portions of sheet metal or the like and replaceable cardboard extensions applied to the reusable components with adhesive tape. The invention effects a major saving in time compared to prior art systems.

[451 Feb. 4, 1975 SURFACE MASKING DEVICE FOR PAINTERS [75] Inventor:EdmundAlbert Eckart,Jr.,

Westport, Conn.

[73] Assignee: Sapolin Paints, Inc.,New York,

[22] Filed: Jan. 25, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 436,555

[52] 11.8. C1 118/505, 117/85, 117/38, 118/504 [51] Int. Cl. ..B05c11/16[58] Field of Search 49/404, 414; 118/504, 505; 117/85, 38; 161/167 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,697,200 1/1929 Morgana et a1118/505 2,672,122 3/1954 Kupec et a1 118/505 3,743,150 7/1973 Eckart225/9 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Masks for Precision Painting, pub. inEngineering, pp. 195, 196 and 197, Jan. 28, 1966.

Accessories that help you paint: like a Pro. Good Housekeeping, vol.166, pp. 161-162, May, 1968.

Primary Examiner-George F. Lesmes Assistant ExaminerR. J. Roche ABSTRACTIn the spray painting of houses, a vertical masking element istemporarily attached to a storm sash frame or channel and protects thesame and adjacent window pane areas from the paint spray. A rightangular horizontal masking element is handheld by the painter andprotects horizontal sections of the storm sash frame or channel whileallowing freedom of one hand for spray painting of surrounding areas.The masking elements embody reusable body portions of sheet metal or thelike and replaceable cardboard extensions applied to the reusablecomponents with adhesive tape. The invention effects a major saving intime compared to prior art systems.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures sum 10F 2 sum .2 or 2 PATENIEB FEB 41975 1SURFACE MASKING DEVICE FOR PAINTERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Becauseof the ever-increasing demand for low cost housing and constantlyincreasing labor costs, it has become imperative to develop a systemwhich enables the entire exterior of a house or other building to bespray painted. Traditionally. fine houses have always been brush paintedin the interest of quality work. More recently, with improved paints andspray apparatus, it has become feasible to spray paint all major areasof the house, such as siding, and to brush paint doors and windows andclosely surrounding areas. thus effecting a considerable saving of timeand labor compared to traditional methods. One example of the patentedprior art pertaining to this problem is US. Pat. No. 3,743,150 issuedJuly 3, 1973. This patent deals with the preparation and application ofadhesive-coated paper masking strips having miter cuts to window framesand particularly to covering and protecting the projecting open channelsof aluminum storm sash during spray painting operations. The presentinvention has for its object to improve upon the prior art including theaforementioned patent by the provision of a more simplified covering orshielding device whose use will effect even a greater savings of timeand labor. By means of the present invention, the spraying time for awindow has been reduced approximately four minutes in comparison to therequired time utilizing the system of US. Pat. 3,743,150. In comparisonto hand brushing, thirty to forty minutes per window is saved.

The present invention additionally involves indefinitely reusablecomponents formed of metal or plastic and attachment elements ofcardboard or the like which can be discarded after a single useeconomically. Furthermore, a unique arrangement for temporarilyadhesively attaching a section of the masking device to a storm windowsash is included as an important feature of the invention and thisfeature adds to the overall efficiency of the system.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear during thecourse of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a front elevation of awindow illustrating the use of the masking device embodying theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevation showing one lower corner of the windowframe without the invention.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the invention in place.

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing the invention in use on the interior ofthe window frame.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 5-5of FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the inventionadjacent to one upper corner ofa window frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION frame 11 is recessed into the wooden frame whilethe forward channel 13 thereof projects forwardly of the wooden frame10. As shown, the dual channel aluminum frame 11 receives the inner andouter storm sash l4 and 15 while theusual wooden sash I6 and 17 lieinwardly within the interior of the wooden window frame. the numeral 18designating interior trim. The chiefpurpose of the invention to bedescribed is to protect the entire aluminum storm sash frame 11including the flange 12 and the two channels from paint during aspraying operation in which the entire surrounding structure up to andincluding the exposed portions of the wooden frame 10 may be rapidlyspray painted.

Toward this end. the invention comprises a pair of shields or masks I9and 20 SI'IOWlII in their cntireties during use, FIG. 1, at the upperleft hand corner of the window in that figure. The broken lineillustration in FIG. 1 indicates the use of the two shields after theyhave been shifted to mask the upper right handcorner of the window.Similarly, the two portable shields are relocated to protect the lowercorners of the window when these regions are being spray painted. Theshields 19 and 20 can be produced in various lengths depending upon thesizes of windows being processed and it is thought that two or threestandard lengths for the shields should satisfy the needs of allwindows.

During use of the invention, as will be fully explained, the verticalshield 19 is temporarily adhesively mounted on the adjacent windowstructure while the painter manipulates and holds the: second shield 20in one hand. This leaves the other hand free to hold the spray gun andthis method has proven to be the fastest method of painting utilizingthe invention.

Continuing to refer to the drawings. each shield 19 and 20 embodies arelatively rigid preferably sheet metal marginal body portion 21including an exterior flange 22 disposed at an angle of about 15 to theremainder ofthe body portion 21. During use, FIG. 5, the angular flange22 overlies and protects the aluminum attaching flange 12 of the dualchannel aluminum storm sash frame. The body portion 21 of the verticalshield 19 during use is temporarily adhesively attached to the frontface of the forward aluminum channel 13 by adhesive tape 23 which isadhesive coated on both sides for attachment to the shield body portion21 and also to the channel 13, FIGS. 5 and 6. The metal body portion v21projects somewhat inwardly of the sash frame 11 and carries a relativelywide discardable or replaceable extension panel 24 of cardboard or thelike. This extension panel is temporarily attached to the body portion21 in slightly overlapped relation thereto by external and internaladhesive tape sections 25 and 26 which are preferably coextensive inlength with the elements 21 and 24. While the metal body portion 21 canbe'used indefinitely, the extension panel 24 of cardboard can beperiodically detached and replaced by a fresh section and this can bedone following each use of the shield if desired. The double gummed tapesection 23 need not extend for "the full length of the body portion 21but should be sufficiently large to provide firm adherence of the shield19 to the aluminum channel 13 during use. v

The metal body portions 21 of both shields 19 and 20 are mitered attheir opposite ends as shown by the numeral 27 to allow covering orshielding of the entire corner area of the window frame. The cardboardextensions 24 need not be mitered and their square cut ends may simplyoverlap during usage as depicted in dotted lines in the drawings. Exceptfor possible differences in length where desirable, and the fact thatthe hand-held shield 20 does not require the mounting tape 23, the twoshield sections are identically formed and the above description of oneserves to describe both. The purpose of the extensions 24 is of courseto protect the adjacent window glass from paint. The extensions 24 canbe wider or narrower than shown herein depending upon needs.

FIG. 3 shows the use of the two shields after shifting thereof fromtheir positions in FIG. 1 to facilitate spray painting a lower corner ofthe window and adjacent areas of siding. By similarly shifting orrelocating the two shields, the entire window frame area and surroundingarea may be rapidly spray painted. At each relocation of the twoshields, one of them, usually the shield 19, is temporarily adhesivelyattached as described while the other shield, usually the horizontalshield 20, is hand-held. In some cases, this could be reversed and thevertical shield 19 could be hand-held while the horizontal shield 20 istemporarily adhesively supported by a double gummed tape similar to thedescribed tape 23. In still other cases, it may be desirable totemporarily adhesively attach both the vertical and horizontal shieldsto the work in the described manner during the use of the invention, andthis latter mode of use enables the painter to have both hands freeduring the operation. In any case, it will be seen that the invention isquite versatile as to its usage so as to meet the needs of individualpainters and individual jobs.

FIG. 4 illustrates that the invention may also be utilized to protectthe interior of a storm sash frame or other window frame or sash duringpainting. The construction and mode of use of the invention isessentially unchanged whether used externally or internally in relationto a window frame. The invention may be utilized in relation to thestorm sash frame 11, FIG. 5, with the storm sash l4 and in place orremoved.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A surface masking device for masking selected corners of rectangularwindow frames including storm window sash channels and adjacent portionsof a window pane, said masking device comprising a pair of shields eachhaving at least one complimentary mitercd end, each shield including amarginal body portion and an interior extension panel and having meansfor attaching said extension panel to said body portion. said maskingdevice having adhesive attaching meanson at least one of said shieldsenabling said shield to be temporarily attached to a window framesection and self supported thereon during a painting operation.

2. The structure of claim 1, and each shield including a reusablemarginal body portion and an interior discardable extension paneltemporarily attached to the body portion.

3. The structure of claim 2, and said body portion formed of sheetmetal, said extension panel formed of cardboard, and a section ofadhesive tape attaching said extension panel releasably to said bodyportion.

4. The structure of claim 3, and said adhesive tape section comprisingexterior and interior adhesive tape sections approximately coextensivelengthwise with said body portion and extension panel and each tapesection adhered to both.

5. The structure of claim 1, and said attachment means on one shieldcomprising a section of adhesive tape having opposite sides thereofgummed for adhesion simultaneously to said shield and to an adjacentwindow frame portion.

6. The structure of claim 5, and said shield including a sheet metalreusable body portion to which said oppositely gummed tape section isadhered, and a discardable extension panel of cardboard temporarilyadhesively attached to said body portion inwardly of said tape section.

7. The structure of claim 6, and said body portion ineluding an exteriorflange disposed at a shallow angle to the remainder of the body portionat said extension panel.

8. The structure of claim 7, and said shallow angle being approximatelyfifteen degrees.

9. The structure of claim 3, and said bodyportion including a part lyingin a parallel plane with said extension panel and an external angularflange adapted to project outwardly and inwardly of a storm sash channelto cover and protect a flat exterior mounting flange of the storm sashchannel.

1. A surface masking device for masking selected corners of rectangularwindow frames including storm window sash channels and adjacent portionsof a window pane, said masking device comprising a pair of shields eachhaving at least one complimentary mitered end, each shield including amarginal body portion and an interior extension panel and having meansfor attaching said extension panel to said body portion, said maskingdevice having adhesive attaching means on at least one of said shieldsenabling said shield to be temporarily attached to a window framesection and self supported thereon during a painting operation.
 2. Thestructure of claim 1, and each shield including a reusable marginal bodyportion and an interior discardable extension panel temporarily attachedto the body portion.
 3. The structure of claim 2, and said body portionformed of sheet metal, said extension panel formed of cardboard, and asection of adhesive tape attaching said extension panel releasably tosaid body portion.
 4. The structure of claim 3, and said adhesive tapesection comprising exterior and interior adhesive tape sectionsapproximately coextensive lengthwise with said body portion andextension panel and each tape section adhered to both.
 5. The structureof claim 1, and said attachment means on one shield comprising a sectionof adhesive tape having opposite sides thereof gummed for adhesionsimultaneously to said shield and to an adjacent Window frame portion.6. The structure of claim 5, and said shield including a sheet metalreusable body portion to which said oppositely gummed tape section isadhered, and a discardable extension panel of cardboard temporarilyadhesively attached to said body portion inwardly of said tape section.7. The structure of claim 6, and said body portion including an exteriorflange disposed at a shallow angle to the remainder of the body portionat said extension panel.
 8. The structure of claim 7, and said shallowangle being approximately fifteen degrees.
 9. The structure of claim 3,and said body portion including a part lying in a parallel plane withsaid extension panel and an external angular flange adapted to projectoutwardly and inwardly of a storm sash channel to cover and protect aflat exterior mounting flange of the storm sash channel.